Certain motor vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs), have an open rear cargo area that may incorporate a retractable tonneau cover, including a cover-retracting mechanism held in a housing. The cover may be extended from the housing to conceal the rear cargo area vehicle rearward of the rear seats of the motor vehicle or retracted back into the housing to expose that cargo area.
Many such vehicles are also equipped with rear seats that may be adjustably reclined at different angles. As should be appreciated, the gap between the housing holding the cover-retracting mechanism and the back of the rear seats varies depending upon the recline angle of those seats.
In order to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance as well as to fully conceal the rear cargo area, the gap between the back of the rear seats and the cover-retracting mechanism housing must be closed. One such approach for closing that gap is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,0161,758 which is assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC.
This document relates to an alternative method for closing that gap relying upon one or more flipper panels. These flipper panels may incorporate a roller to engage with and roll along the back of the rear seat so that the flipper panels smoothly and efficiently follow the rear seat during adjustment of the recline angle of the rear seat. Further, the flipper panels may include an easily accessible and convenient storage compartment for holding small items such as cell phones, electronic music players and the like.